Bourg-d'Oisans

30 timed courses for amateur cyclists

L'Alpe dHuez climb, the course of La Marmotte Gran Fondo, all the Oisans mountain passes and climbs to the ski resorts are now equipped so that amateur riders can time their performances. The system allows cyclists to time themselves alone, by two or in groups on more than 30 itineraries and to be ranked in a general classification. Each course is equipped with a checkpoint activated by a chip identifying each rider. The chips, to be fixed on the bike or rider, can be hired in local tourist offices and are activated when the cyclist rides past start and finish flags.

Chips can also be purchased for 26.50 euros annually and operate on all Timtoo Timing course in France, Italy and Switzerland.

In the 30 courses in Oisans feature the climbs of L'Alpe d'Huez, Croix-de-Fer, Glandon, Lautaret, Galibier, Deux-Alpes or Col de Sarenne, that the Tour will ride for the first time in this edition.

Sitios web

Bourg-d'Oisans and cycling

For all the cyclists in the world, whatever their level, Bourg d'Oisans means the start of the climb up L'Alpe d'Huez. But Bourg d'Oisans was also often the start of stages validations or correcting the results at L'Alpe d'Huez.

In 1952, for instance, Fausto Coppi took his overall lead at l'Alpe from five seconds to 20 minutes in a stage between Bourg d'Oisans and Sestriere. Irked by constant attacks, the "campionissimo" went solo on the Galibier never to be seen again. The Tour de France was over and organisers were even forced to double the bonus for the runner-up to maintain an interest until Paris.

Sitios web

The bulb salesmen

In the late 19th century and the early 20th, a new trade emerged in the Oisans valley, always renowned for its travelling salesmen. One of them, named Pierre Vanel, had the brilliant idea of selling mountain flowers like gentian or edelweiss and his initiative was so successful that many of his colleagues chose to emulate him. From then on, every village had its own travelling florist, who later inspired mail-order companies like Interflora or Vilmorin for whom they ended up working.

Most of them already worked with catalogues with reproductions, often embellished, of their best samples. The flower trade in Oisans became international, some of the valley's florists making a fortune in Brazil or Spain. But Russia, with its long winters and late blooms, was also fond of flowers from the Alps. One florist from Venosc named Remy Veyrat was known to trade with Russia and the legend even has it that he was "the Tsar's florist".

Another tale alleges that another salesman from Venosc attempted to sell Tsar Nicholas II a blue rose, a species that does not exist. Some old people in the valley heard from their grandparents that the man, whose name is forgotten, was arrested by the gendarmes.